Experience GBTA 2024 with Navan

The 2024 Global Business Travel Association Convention began with a global outage of the software powering airlines, making it a challenge for attendees to arrive in Atlanta on time. As always, the Navan team quickly mobilized to support our travelers and customers so that they could make it. As attendees began to arrive, the situation improved significantly.

Everyone was coming for one of the year’s biggest conferences: the annual GBTA Convention, which took place July 21 – 24, 2024, at the World Congress Center in Atlanta. As it does each year, the event brought together business travel professionals, industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from around the globe. 

In other words, it was the perfect platform for Navan to showcase our all-in-one travel and expense management solution. We love the opportunity to meet and spend time with stakeholders across the travel industry, from suppliers and customers to potential partners.

In addition to networking and connecting, Navan leaders also participated in five speaking sessions across the conference’s main stages — a great way to discuss the new possibilities available in the travel and expense industries.

Navan’s Spaces

Here’s where GBTA attendees found the Navan team this year:

On the expo floor, Navan’s booth buzzed with activity. Our colorful branding lit up the space, where team members shared exactly how and why our technology transforms what everyone thought was possible in travel and expense management. GBTA attendees left with new insights into Navan’s innovative approach to travel management. One travel manager shared, “Navan always stays ahead of market movement, always bringing the most modern solutions to customers through convenience, flexibility, and personalization.”

Navan also hosted a lounge, designed to be a respite from the expo floor and a place to connect with colleagues comfortably. The days were long, but Navan made sure that everyone who stopped by the booth was energized with espresso, gelato, smoothies, shakes, and fruit. 

The lounge saw continuous traffic as attendees enjoyed branded lattes, custom luggage tags, and professional headshots displayed on our VIP wall. 

“Attendees expressed their gratitude to us for providing a space for attendees to relax and recharge amidst the whirlwind of GBTA this year,” said Navan team member Natalie Mills.

Navan hosted a few private events outside the expo and lounge, with private dining experiences dedicated to super users, customers, and press hosted throughout the GBTA conference.

The Big Event: Navan’s GBTA Party

Navan was founded on the belief that in-person connections fuel great relationships — in business and outside the conference hall. That’s why it was so fantastic to have the chance to meet our colleagues, partners, and customers simply as friends on Tuesday evening at our highly anticipated party, held at the World of Coca-Cola Museum.

This event, attended by 2,000 people, featured unique experiences in various spaces, all just a short walk from the convention center and hotels. The spectacular venue, engaging activities, and special guests — including the iconic Coca-Cola polar bear — made the event unforgettable.

“The party was top-notch. Every little detail was thought of, and everyone could see it and loved it,” said one attendee. “The venue was spectacular. When I walked in, guests took pictures of everything and made videos. Then the Coke polar bear jumped out, and the guests immediately stopped what they were doing and began to chase it and take pictures.”

Navan's events marketing team designed and executed the entire slate of Navan-sponsored venues and events at the GBTA conference, including the evening party. We’re so grateful for how this team embodies the Navan value of “putting the customer first” to craft experiences unlike any the GBTA conference has ever seen.

While the conference is over for this year, our commitment to our customers and partners never ends. 

The most recent example of this commitment is Navan’s focus on New Distribution Capability (NDC). And to evaluate the results of our efforts with this technology, we just released a comprehensive study of NDC booking data on Navan and its potential effect on travel savings for businesses. 

Check out The Navan NDC Savings Index now!